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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — soda
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. firm — decided
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. firm — a company
  11. mug — a face
  12. tear — from crying
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — humankind
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — the arms race
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — steady
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com